The Winner Takes It All
by Jenasisity
Summary: They were too late...and they had lost him. (One-Shot & Rated as it is to be safe)


**Disclaimer: Nope, nada, nothing. (It's too early in the day for this, for you all to ruin my dreams and hopes! _;)**

 **Just a little on-the-side one-shot I wrote a while back, went through and re-edited it and everything...**

 **So, please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Mikey's POV -**

Mikey stormed out of the lair. He could still hear their painful words, they were forever engraved in his mind, never losing the sting they caused to his heart. He played them over and over in his head, no matter how many times he wanted them to stop, their words felt like a repeated stab to the chest each and every time.

" _You're such a screw up! One of these days, you're gonna get us in serious trouble!"_ Raph had hit him over the head with one of his weapons, not only leaving mental scars, but physical ones as well. Mikey knew he hadn't meant to hurt him, but he had, his head was pounding and the sais had left a bleeding cut.

" _You need to stop being such a liability to this team! You just hold us all back_ ," Leo words hurt even more, sure Leo might scold him here and there, but he had never called him names or made him feel like this before. But the person that hurt Mikey the most wasn't because of the things he'd said, it was the things he _didn't_ say. Donnie had always been his closet brother, his best friend, but watching him just stand there behind his two older brothers, with arms crossed and a frown on his face hurt more than any words. Realizing he wouldn't come and defend him - it hurt. He just stood there. Sure, sometimes Mikey did goof off when he shouldn't, but he just wanted to make them smile.

The thoughts kept swirling in his head as he jumped out of the manhole and out into the city. As he jumped from rooftop to rooftop, he was too entangled in his thoughts to notice the dark clothed figures that shadowed him. Suddenly, a shuriken lodged itself in the pavement not an inch from Mikey's foot. It startled Mikey, causing him to lose his balance. He stumbled to the side and grabbed his nunchucks from his holders as he regained his footing. Crouching in a defensive position, Mikey sung his nunchucks protectively around himself. Eyeing the surrounding rooftops, he noticed he was outmatch and outnumbered. _'Maybe I should call the guys?'_ Mikey supposed, but shook his head, ridding the thought. He didn't need them. He would prove to them, he could do this. Suddenly, the foot pushed forward. Mikey meeting them halfway.

As Mikey swung, jumped, swirled, dodged, and all but danced though the air, he had all the ninjas out like a light in matter of minutes. He ginned in victory, looking over the damage he had done. He had not killed any of the ninjas, just rendered them powerless. He was so engrossed in his victory, he didn't sense the female ninja coming up behind him. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his side. Mikey gasped in agony and slowly looked down, his eyes widening. A six inch blade was embedded in his lower left side, between his shell and plastron, in the sensitive green skin reveled there. He looked over his shoulder, only to come face to face with a cruel grin plastered on the appearance of no other than Karai. Mikey stumbled backwards as Karai yanked the long blade out. He fell against the cold wall of a higher platform. His eyes never leaving Karai's cold, laughing orbs.

"This is a warning. Shredder's still out there, and stronger than ever. Be ready, a vast war is approaching." She smirked as she flipped off the rooftop. The other ninjas had disappeared too. Michelangelo let himself slide down the building wall as his breaths came in short, agonizing gasps. He felt so tired. His reached for his cell with a shaking hand, while trying to stop the bleeding with the other. He speed-dialed Raph.

RIIINNNGG…RIIINNNGG….RIIINNNGG….RIINN-

Mikey looked down at the phone. The call was denied. He groaned. Next he tried Donnie's. No answer. Following, he tried Leo. _'Please Leo, pick up! I need your guys right now_ ,' Mikey thought as he fought for his clear sight, his eyes were already starting to close against his will. The pain was unbearable. He felt tears start to slide down his cheeks. He was scared. He wanted Leo. He wanted Raph. He wanted Donnie. He wanted his protectors, his comforters. He wanted his big brothers. Suddenly he heard a voice and Mikey almost broke down right then and there.

" _Hello? Mikey? Mikey, is that you?"_ The voice of his sweet brother filled his ears.

 **3rd Person POV –**

"Do you think we were too hard on him?" Leo asked softly. It had been almost an hour since Mikey had walked out of the lair. Leo was starting to get worried and he was already feeling as guilty as ever.

"He needs to learn sometime Leo, besides, he the only thing he ever does is cause trouble for the rest of us," Raph said, rubbing his sais with a rag. Leo sighed. Even so, he felt shamed for yelling at Mikey like that, his anger had just gotten the best of him, which was unusual. But it was to be expected, seeing how they had failed their last mission miserably, Mikey causing half of that too. But still, that was no excuse for how they had treated him, but then, suddenly, a ring filled the silent room. Raph pulled out his cell, looking at the caller ID and scoffed. He hit the rejection option.

"I don't have the time to talk to you, Mikey," Raph muttered, putting all his concentration on trying to rid his weapon of a speck of dirt, Leo just sighed. Not two seconds later, Donnie's ring tone went off and Donnie came out of his lab, only to stop and look around the lair.

"Where is it? Where did I put that brilliant piece of tech?" Donnie whispered to himself as he threw pizza boxes left and right, trying to locate his phone. Suddenly the sound ceased and not a second later, Donnie picked it up. His eyes widened in surprise.

"That was Mikey…" Donnie whispered. This got the attention of Leo and Raph. They both stopped what they were doing and walked to Donnie's side. They looked over his shoulders and sure enough, a picture of Mikey with a signature smile, looking up from a comic book was looking right back at them. Donnie and Leo held concerned expressions, while Raph just looked on with a frown.

"Maybe I should-" Leo was interrupted by his own T-phone ringing. He pulled it out and narrowed his eyes in confusion and a bit of fear.

"It's Mikey…" Leo murmured. He hit the answer button, then the speaker, "Hello? Mikey? Mikey, is that you?" He asked. A soft laugh came from the other end. But there was something off about it. It sounded almost pained.

"Yeah, who else?" Mikey's joking voice came though and all the brothers snapped their heads up to look at each other in the eyes. They all held fear and confusion. Something was not right about the way Mikey had just sounded.

"Mikey what's wrong, you sound different," Leo asked with a hint of worry in his voice. At this Mikey sighed heavily.

"T-there was a-an accident," Mikey's whispering voice sent fear though the three older brothers and Leo practically screamed into the T-phone while Donnie's and Raph's eyes widened.

 **Mikey's POV –**

"WHAT?! What happened?!" Leo's volume made Mikey wince. He smiled at his brother's concern.

"Leo, calm down. Everything will be okay. I just need you guys to come and….get me. I need to tell you something. Make sure Donnie and Raph come too, I need you all here right now." Mikey's breathing had become rigid, but he tried to keep it from his brothers. He didn't want to say goodbye, but he knew it was inevitable. This wound was fatal.

"Okay, we'll be in there in a few minutes, Donnie can track your position." Leo's worried voice sounded and there was scuffling, after a few seconds, Leo voice came through again, "Just hang tight, we'll be there in a few minutes-" Mikey cut Leo off.

"No, please, stay…please, just…just stay with me." Mikey whispered into the phone.

"S-Sure, are you okay? You don't sound too good," Leo stuttered, sounding scared. Leo was never scared. Mikey sighed, how could he tell them? He couldn't just go out and say, 'Well, Karai stuck a six inch blade into my side and now I'm bleeding to death', that would defiantly not end well.

"Just…just hurry," Mikey breathed painfully. Leo could tell something was not right. He knew Mikey wasn't telling them something.

"Mikey? Mikey?! What's wrong, tell me!" Leo commanded. Mikey sighed.

"Have to use the leader's command…don't cha? You…you know I can't say no to that…" Mikey trailed off. Leo smiled softly on the other end.

"Yeah…just tell me what's wrong, please," Leo whispered. Mikey sighed again. Leo was his soft spot, his idol. Just like the rest of his brothers. They were each other's weaknesses. He grunted in pain as he tried to change positions.

"I…I hope you get to me…in time," Mikey whispered, not meaning for his brothers to hear, it was really becoming a problem to breath now.

"MIKEY?! What's wrong, why'd you say that?! Why won't you tell us?!" Donnie's voice came onto the phone. He sounded so panicked and scared. Then he heard more noise that sounded like Raph cursing. Speaker phone, great. They all heard that.

"Where are you guys?" Mikey asked softly, trying to avoid the question, he was losing the strength he had. Leo's voice came back on.

"We are actually right-" Suddenly, Leo's voice ceased and a thump sounded. Mikey looked up to see his three brothers a few yards in front of him. He noticed the T-phone was now laying on the ground at Leo's feet. Mikey then looked to their faces. He instantly wished he hadn't. Shock and horror was etched into their features. Mikey tried a little smile, but instead, started coughing intensely. This broke the three eldest brothers out of their trance.

"Mikey!" All their voices rung out at once as they ran to their baby brother's side. Raph held his head while Donnie put pressure on the wound. Leo was swaying over them.

"Why didn't you tell us?!" Donnie cried as he blinked away tears. Leo looked horror stricken and Raph just stared at the broken figure of his little brother, still stuck in shock. Mikey raised his hand towards Leo.

"L…Leo…don't…don't look at me…me like that…every…everything will be…okay." Mikey tried to smile up at the eldest. Leo just simply fell to his knees and grabbed Mikey's hand. The look from earlier was replaced with a worried and pained one.

"Mikey, why? Why didn't you tell us?!" Leo's fear laced gaze was fixated on his still freely bleeding wound.

"No…no need…I just had to…to hold on…for…for you guys," Mikey trailed off. He was getting so tired, he wanted to rest for a while.

"Mikey! Don't you dare close your eyes!" Raph shouted at him and Mikey forced his eyes open halfway again.

"Why…why didn't you warn us? We could have brought things to help…" Leo whispered, as tears filled his eyes.

"It…it wouldn't of matter…mattered…this wound…it's…it's too deep…guys…I…I'm sorry…I was…was always causing trouble…it'll be…be better this way," Mikey whispered, the last bit mainly to himself, his time was almost up. He could feel it.

"No! Mikey, don't you ever say that! We love you! We need you!" Leo clutched Mikey closer to him, tears were freely rolling down Leo and Donnie's cheeks now, Raph trying his best to stay strong, blinking his away. Suddenly, Mikey gasped in pain and closed his eyes tightly, relaxing when the pain subsided some, he didn't dare breathe in fear of the horrific pain reappearing.

"Mikey! Mikey, no! Open your eyes," Mikey could hear Raph pleading with him, and Leo and Donny's panicked gasps, but it was too hard, he had barely any strength left. But the voice continued, "Come on, Mikey, p-please, open your eyes…please…" The sentence coming out a sobbed whisper. Mikey felt wet drops on his face. He willed himself to open his eyes, at least one more time. Donnie was propped up over him. Raph was leaning near Donnie, his emotions threatening to come undone. Mikey smiled and started to talk but then it hit him. He suddenly felt the full amount of pain and misery like a punch to the gut. He inhaled sharply and whimpered.

"L…Leo, Don, Raph…please…please help me! It…it hurts, it…it really hurts!" Mikey cried out, trying to get to his brothers, disregarding the immense agony his movements were causing. His brothers could only pulled him closer to them.

"Shh…it's okay, I know, I know…it won't be like this for long…" Leo whispered, choking up, he started to lose it. Mikey had calmed down some at his brother's familiar embraces. He looked at Leo, who had completely snapped. Donnie looked like he would too, any second. Mikey felt guilt and pain rush though his entire being. This wasn't about him. This was about his brothers. Mikey closed his eyes. And saying goodbye.

He opened his eyes again and reached for Leo and Donnie, who had also started softly crying. He tried his best to pull them all, including Raph, into a final family hug. And Mikey soothed the only way he knew how. He whispered to them, trying to calm them as well as himself. The fear of dying was still there, but he pushed it to the very back of his mind. Mikey's arm slowly started to slip from his brothers as he lost all his strength. And as he slipped backwards, gently resting against the building once more, he whispered words that made his brothers moan as if in physical pain from their grief before his world came crashing down.

"…..I…I love you guys…I will watch over you…please live on...for me. If…if only we had…just…just a bit more time. I…I wanted to have more…more adventures," Mikey whispered before his eyes closed and his figure went limp, in the arms of his brothers.

Abruptly, a piercing feeling came over the three, it felt as if three daggers had just simultaneously been shoved into their chests, taking a portion of their hearts with it as the agony subsided, leaving a horrible numbed, hollow sensation where that piece used to be; leaving them shaken and cold.

"No… _no_! Oh my god, please no!" Donatello cried in anguish as he collapsed on the only little brother he had ever had's lifeless body, his body racking with heart wrenching sobs. Leonardo said nothing, merely embraced Donatello, leading him from the corpse of their once energetic brother and directing him to his chest, where Donnie buried his face in Leo's neck as Leo finally allowed himself to completely break down as well, weeping hard with such an unimaginable pain, just as the one he sought to comfort. Raphael only stared at the scene before him in absolute shock, tears streaming down his face, before familiar anger flashed through his whole being, lighting a fire in his heart. As he punched the rooftop hard enough that it had actually cracked beneath his knuckles, Raphael swore then and there that whoever had taken their baby brother from them, their light, was going to get the most horrific, excruciating death possible known to mankind, for their sunshine was no more, Michelangelo was no more.


End file.
